Electric sign



ad, 27, 1931. R WELEY 1,829,321

ELECTRIC SIGN Filed May 2. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l flog/R. 501 2 g Fri up Mi Get. 27, 1931. R. R. WILEY 1,829,321

ELECTRIC SIGN Filed May 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zih'fey Patented Oct. 27, 1931 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROY WILEY, OFiBUFFALO, YOIt-K, ASSIGNOR TOFLEXLUME CORPORATION, OF

- v 'TONAWAN'DA, NEXV YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK Enncrnrc SIGN Application filed May 2, 1928; Serial No. 274,459.

This invention relates to improvements in electric signs of the kind which utilize electroluminescent display tubes andthe invention'is characterized by display units, each including such a tube.

As heretofore constructed each sign has been made as a special job and it has been necessary to do all of the work from the beginning ineach instance; Such a course is opposed to manufacturing economy and the resultant sign structure has been one which has presented grave problems of service and maintenance. In fact maintenance has been virtually limited to such a zone as could without burdensome expense be served from the factory where the sign was built.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a sign of the kind described which may be manufactured on a standardized basis, that is to say a sign which as to electroluminescent letters may be composed of stock units and which is otherwise so constructed that standardized 'methods of manufacture may be applied and also to'provide a sign which may be readily serviced and main tained, regardless of the distance of the place of its location from the factory where it was made. I V

Further and specific objects are To embody in a sign construction one or more electrical connector receptacles which are connected to a source of electrical energy whereby the terminals of the display units may be plugged into or disengaged from the said receptacles in order to effect the electrical connection or disconnection of the display units:

To provide a construction such that the electrical connection or disconnection of the unit is efiected' by .thGSfl-Il'lB manipulation or movement as is required to place the unit on or remove it from the supporting structure:

To enable the display units to be placed quickly and securely upon or readily removed fronrtlie supporting structure:

To provide a'sign'whichutilizes display units adapted for manufacture in standard sizes so that the characters are interchange able 1 i To maintain the high voltage lines within the sign casing and to enclose all high voltage connections so as to prevent any person accidently coming into contact with the elec-v t'rical connections when changing a display unit or otherwise.

Stated generally the invention contemplates a'sign having a supporting structure provided with one or more electrical connector receptacles which are connected to a ture has a generally rectangular cross section and serves some of the purposes of a casingfor which reason it may be conveniently referred to as such.

A sign in which the features of the invention are incorporated is illustratedin the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2 is'a plan View; Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section;

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 44.-

of Figure 3; which section is taken through the offset portion 30 of the display wall shown in Figure 5.

F igure. 5 is a fragmentary. horizontal section;

Figure 6 is afragmentary section showing a detail of the connections between a display unit and the casing, which section is taken on either'side of the offset portion 30.

The si nrillustrated comprises a casing 1 having opposed display faces 2; each of which is formed with a series of openings 3 into which individual display units may be conformably fitted. A suitable reenforcing framework is incorporated with the casing 1 and as shown comprises a pair of vertical angle bars 4 and a pairof horizontal angle bars 5. The rectangular frame composed of these bars is'arranged vertically at the longitudinal center. of thecasing. The sign illustrated is of the double face or projecting type ice which the sign is supported from and preferably hasthe horizontal bars 5 extended beyond an end Wall of the casing and the vertical bar4 whichis adjacent the opposite end wall of the. casing extended beyond the upper and lower walls of the casing the" projecting ends of said bars being available for cooperation. with the hanging rig/by the wall of abuilding. Y f "The casing carries one or moreconnector receptacles 6 preferably formedgto provide for the complete enclosure of the terminals inporcelain or other suitable insulating 1na-- terial. Each receptacle has, of, course, the

usual slots into which the projecting termi- I nals of a companion receptacle carriedrby a display'u nit 11 may be inserted and the numslot formed portions of the receptaclespro-' ject' from the inner casing toward thedisplay unit receiving openings 3." The casing 7 maybe supported in any suitable manner. As' shown itfi's secured to vertical bars 8,

. which turn, are secured to the frame bars lines or to the transformer. r

v The transformer-1O may be arranged w th- 5. .The ,casin g is formed withsuitable aper tures through whichtliefeedlines 9 extend for connection to the high voltage power in or without the 'casingl as desired. 'By

locating the transformer within the casing 1 or enclosing it adj acent' said casing, the necessity of outside high voltage power lines is avoided and the safety factor of the construction'increased, To thisend I may placethe transformer within acasing 1a supported upon'the top part of the casing 1. The cas-g ingla may either be apartofthe casing l'or separate from it but 'in 'any-casethe transformer chamber communicates with the interior of the casing 1 to permit the feed lines which extendwbetween the receptacle casing 7 and thet ransformer to remainienclosedr The display units 11 eachinclude an electroluminescent tube 12 andt body which carriessaidv-tube and is attachable to the supporting structure Each tubea12 is in the outlineofa desired letter, character or the like'and has offset portions 13 which terminate' in underturned electrode carrying I portions13a. These are embedded and thereby anchored in a massof insulating maQ terial 14; which fills a supportingcasinglb:

' The filling 14 1 is, preferably fboth electrical and heat insulating andmay bea hard, set{ able fastenings 17b.

ting plastic material which adheres to the walls of the casing or alcolnpacted granular 18. The baseor bottom wall of'thef'casing" 1 5 is formed with an opening which alines with a connector receptacle 16set Within the casing 15 and secu'redrito the base thereof byifasteningsi 16a. The receptacles 16 are companion to the receptacle 6 and are each provided with terminals which aregelectrically connected to the electrodes of the tube 12 and which project into a socket or plug receiving chamber. The slot formed porions the receptacles 6 constitute plugs which are inserted throughthe openingsof the basesof the casings'lf land into the sockets of the receptacles 16, the terminals of which extend'into the slots of the receptacles 6 and engage the terminals of the latter. The exposed wall 17 of the casing 15,that is to say the wall opposite the base or bot} tom of said icasingandwhich provides part of thedisplay face of the sign, is separable from said casing and is also of, sectional'form inorder to permitit to be readily attached to or removed from the casing without disturbing the tube. The sections may have any suitable arrangement or may be providedin any required number; They are articu-' lated as at 17a by atongue and groove joint and. adjacent sections are formedwith matching recesses .to. provide openings through whichtheofiset parts of the tube may extend intogthe casings I The side and end walls of the; casing are formedf with marginal flanges to which the wall is secured by suit- .The casing '15 with the means for the securement of the unit thereto constitute the unit body by which the tube is carried and which, as attachable to the supportingvstructure, provides for incorporating'the tube as a-part'of the sign. c l

. The walls of the openings 3 in which the units 11am; positionedare preferably spec ally. formed forsecuring cooperation with sa dfunitsg To provide the openings 3 the display walls of the casing l are formed as frames having upper and lower sections'18 and 19 and sidesectionsQO and 21. A channel member 22 is secured to the upper section 18 with its 'channel located behind said section and anabutment member 2-3 is secured to the lower section .19, wit-hits abutment part located inward of saidsection. The members 22 and :23 eXtendcontinuously between the side sections 20 and 21S. lTAbut'm'ent members 24 are secured to. said: side sections and the openings 3 are otherwise fcompletely de-v limited-by.intermediatediViSiOII bars 25 arzrangedat suitable intervals and having abutm n fla es fii m s ,t Pssi tth abut! ment members 24. The bars 25 are suitably secured at their upper and lower ends to the members 22 and 23.

The display wall 17 extends for a suitable distance beyond the side and end walls of the casing 15 in order to provide for the sec-urem'ent of the unit to the supporting structure. The lower edge of the display wall is formed with an inturned flange 27 which cooperates with the abutment member 23, the side edges of the display wall are formed with inturned flanges 28 which cooperate with the vertical abutment elements 24: or 25 as the case may beand the upper edge of the display wall is formedwith an offset flange 29 which cooperates with the channel of the member 22. The member 23 is peened outward at the center of each opening 3 to provide recesses 30, each for cooperation with a latching finger 31 mounted on the display wall 17.

When a display unit is to be placed on a supporting structure its upper flange 29 is placed against the rear wall of the channel of the member 22 and, the unit, being at such time held in a tilted position, is moved into the opening 3, the flange 29 at the same time being manipulated into the channel of the member 22 and the flanges 27 and 28 coming to rest against their associated abutment parts. Thereupon the latching finger 81 is turned to engage in the recess 30 and positively hold the unit in position. As the units are thusmoved into the openings 3 their receptacles come into engagement with the receptacles 6 in the manner above described. As positioned in the openings 3 the display faces of the front walls of the unit are flush with one another, with the display faces of the surrounding frame 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the supporting structure and with the exposed faces of the bars 25.

The units may, of course, be removed by reversing the operations stated.

Where by reason of the derangement of any part of a unit a replacement becomes necessary it is of advantage to use the display wall 17 of the original unit as a part of the replacement unit and thereby complete the original display face of the sign intact. This can readily be done because of the ease with which the display wall 17 can be removed from one unit and applied to another unit of corresponding size and form. Furthermore, if the unit removed by reason of derangement is to be serviced and no replacement units are immediately available, the display wall 17 can be removed, fitted together and placed on the supporting structure to cover the opening 3, from which the unit was taken, thereby maintaining the continuity of the display face and protecting the interior of the sign from the elements.

The invention is, of course, susceptible of embodiment in forms which may differ structurally in various respects from the'single form herein shown and specifically described andwhich may embody various al-v insulating material, and connector receptacle'nieans'carried by said casing for engaging cooperation with the first named receptacle means when the casing is mounted on said supporting structure.

In an electric sign, in combination, a supporting structure having a display face formed with openings, connector receptacle means carried by said supporting structure in line with said openings and connected to a source of electrical energy, display units shaped to be fitted in said openings and each including a display wall to cover an opening and an electroluminescent tube located beyond said display wall, means for the connection of each tube to corresponding elements of said receptacle means and means for the removable attachment of each unit to said supporting structure.

3. In an electric sign, in combination, a supporting structure having a display face formed with openings, connector receptacle means carried by said supporting structure in line with said openings and connected to a source of electrical energy, display units shaped to be fitted in said openings and each including a display wall to cover said openings, an electroluminescent tube located beyond said display wall and connector receptacle means behind said display wall for connection to elements of said connector receptacle means first named and means for the removable attachment of each unit to said supporting structure.

4. In an electric sign, in combination, an outer casing having a display face formed with openings, an inner casing supported within said outer casing, connector receptacle means mounted in said inner casing and exposed through a wall thereof, said receptacle means being in line with said openings and connected to a source of electrical energy, display units shaped to be fitted in said openings and each including a display wall to a cover said opening, an electroluminescent tube located beyond said display wall and connector receptacle means located behind said display wall for engagement with elements of said connector receptacle means first was),

named; Midi-means for the removable attacli- F ment of'e a'ch unit to said outer casing: 2 -"5. In an electric s1gn,-1n-c0mb1nat1on;*a supportlng'structure having connector re- 5 ceptacle meansadapted for connection to a source of electrical energy and a display-unit comprising. a casing removablyattachable to said supporting structure, an electroluminescenttube carried by said casing, the terminal '7 6 portions ofsaid tube extending ithin said casing, and connector receptacle means carried bysa-id. casing for engagingcooperation with'the first named receptacle means when the casingis'mounted on said supporting stru ctnre."

1 j i In'testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature. r V 7 7 ROY R W ILEYq 

